Headline price is an important consideration for customers with regards to any building material; yet, when something is new and radically different to the apparent alternatives, it is important to weigh up all the factors.
Launched last year SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus requires no painting, so is ready for immediate use on site in a variety of roles, including hoardings, with the obvious benefit that no preparation time is required, making it an economical choice on many projects. The surface coat comprises of a high-quality, cross-linked epoxy acylate, UV-cured coating, which is what gives it a very even finish and, unlike plywood, offers protection against the weather. The edges, meanwhile, are sealed with a unique wax impregnated treatment to reduce water ingress.
Standard sheets of SterlingOSB Zero typically cost 15-30% less than plywood panels of equivalent size and thickness, with one of the reasons being that orientated strand boards are produced from smaller trees, forest thinnings and waste timber that might otherwise become landfill. Plywood, by contrast, consumes lumber from far bigger trees which of course take longer to grow, making ply less sustainable. And, instead of being multi-directional, the circumferential layers which make up plywood are laid perpendicular to each other to give them strength but remain susceptible to delamination. The inevitable knots and other irregularities represent potential weaknesses, normally exposed when trying to fix or machine boards.
As an added value product which has undergone significant treatment in the factory, 18mm sheets of SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus can be viewed as competitively priced while cutting labour costs and avoiding the purchase of products such as knotting, primer and paint while offering a superior surface finish for a diversity of applications; it is also the more sustainable choice. These are all reasons why SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus is appearing around arcade walkways, in college and school art rooms, as theatre scenery, and in the exhibition & hospitality sectors where customers value the panels’ ability to accept high quality printing and graphics.
SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus is CE-marked and complies with the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) requirements. The boards are supplied in packs of 50 to cover a total area of approximately 150m². Right across its range, West Fraser has been making substantial investment in reducing the environmental impact of its production processes including signing new contracts with its energy suppliers to ensure that all its power comes from renewable sources that are covered by REGO (Renewable Energy of Guaranteed Origins) certification.
For peace of mind, the boards also conform to European E1 emission standard, comply with BS EN 622: Parts 1 and 5.
For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit uk.westfraser.com